This recipe was a successful attempt at trying to feed my family more spinach. They loved it and now prefer this version to conventional mac and cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 package elbow macaroni , 16 ounce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1 pound frozen chopped spinach , not thawed
- 3 cups grated Cheddar cheese , divided
- 0.5 teaspoons salt
- 0.25 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 0.25 teaspoons ground nutmeg
Instructions
-
1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 teaspoon butter.
-
2
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.
-
3
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat while macaroni is cooking. Add flour and whisk until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in a little milk and continue whisking. Pour in remaining milk and add frozen spinach. Cook, whisking constantly, until spinach softens and sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
-
4
Remove sauce from heat and stir in 2 cups Cheddar cheese; whisk until melted. Season sauce with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
-
5
Drain macaroni and spread evenly in the prepared baking dish. Cover with cheese sauce. Mix well. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup Cheddar cheese on top.
-
6
Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. Turn on the oven's broiler and broil until a golden crust forms on top, about 3 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving
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